‘Easier said than done,’ he said, patting Harley’s head. At least the tenants and employees of the firm had received the statement advising them that the takeover had taken place. Now he needed to give them all a little time for the news to sink in. He’d call a meeting and allow them to voice their concerns on his return to the island. He wasn’t looking forward to it.
Paige didn’t see Sebastian for the next two days, and despite her best intentions, couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
‘The gossip was right, for once.’ Olly sat on the chair behind her counter doodling on her notepad.
‘Stop that,’ she took the pencil away from him. ‘So it seems. What are we going to do if we lose our jobs?’
‘No idea,’ he moved to let her have the stool. ‘It shouldn’t be too hard for me to find something, there’s always work for IT guys. You’re the one with the real problem, especially if you have to move your business.’
Paige sighed. ‘I was only just starting to make a little money, and now this has to happen.’
‘You don’t know if you are going to have to go yet. Don’t panic too soon.’
Olly was right to an extent, but if she did have to move, then Paige wanted to be ready and not panicking at the last minute. It was going to be hard enough, without having to deal with her attraction to Sebastian.
A constant stream of customers flowed through the shop for most of the afternoon, keeping her busy and filling her till with receipts.
‘This is mainly thanks to your brilliant incentive, Ol,’ she said as she cashed up at the end of the day.
‘It was your birthday present from me and Clem. In fact,’ he added thoughtfully, ‘It was the first joint present we bought anyone as a couple.’
Paige was relieved that her sister and Olly falling for each other all those months ago hadn’t turned out to be as strange as she’d feared it would be. ‘I know, and it was a generous one. I still feel bad that you wouldn’t let me at least cover some of the cost.’
‘It was nothing. I’d spotted flyers from one of the other shops in the Jersey Gazette and thought it could work well for you too.
‘It’s made a significant difference to my takings since they came out.’ Paige waved one in the air. ‘They’re so striking, and I really appreciate it.’
‘It wasn’t as expensive as you probably think.’ Olly studied the copies of Paige’s designs on the front of one of the flyers. ‘I persuaded an old school friend to print them off. He owed me a favour or two and only charged me the cost of producing them.’
‘Yes, but I’m glad you eventually gave in and let me pay for them to be inserted in the evening paper.’
Olly pulled a face. ‘You’re a determined madam when you want to be. Forty thousand or so newspapers delivered every night, each with a flyer offering a 10% discount on any purchase for the following two weeks. If it works, then it’s worth every penny.’
‘You’re so clever,’ said Paige. ‘Look how my shelves are clearing. I owe you big time for this.’
He pulled a serious face. ‘I know you do.’ He laughed. ‘Of course, you don’t, it’s nothing.’
‘How can you say that? I don’t think you realise how much I needed those extra sales.’
‘You deserve it. You work hard, and I want you to succeed.’ He gazed down at the floor for a moment, his usual exuberance forgotten.
‘What’s the matter?’ Paige asked.
‘I phoned Clem last night to say I was planning to go and visit her next weekend at her uni in Brighton, and she finished with me.’
Paige gasped, stunned at this unexpected bombshell. ‘Why? I thought you two were so happy together?’
‘Me too,’ he said, his voice cracking with emotion. ‘I thought everything was going brilliantly between us,’ he said. ‘I didn’t see it coming at all.’
‘Olly, I’m so sorry.’
He stared at her for a moment. ‘I can see by the look of surprise on your face that she hasn’t said anything to you.’
Paige shook her head, relieved to be able to answer him truthfully. ‘No, nothing.’
‘Will you ask her for me, when you next speak to her? She refused to tell me anything. She said it was nothing to do with me, so I can only assume she’s met someone else.’
Paige doubted it. The last she’d heard from Clem, she’d gone on about how much in love she was with Olly. She gave him a hug, not sure what to say next.
‘Hey, don’t fret. I’m fine,’ he said, obviously lying. He pushed his long fingers through his sun-bleached hair. ‘How about we go out tonight to cheer ourselves up? We could celebrate your successful campaign and treat ourselves to a slap-up meal at The Anchorage?’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ she said, thinking about the long soak in the bath she had been looking forward to. Then seeing his face and remembering how much he’d supported her, felt selfish and decided it was the least she could do for him. ‘Oh, go on then, why not? You’d better get back to your desk before you’re missed now though. Why don’t you give me a knock at about seven tonight? We’ll go on down to St Aubin then.’
Olly’s face broke into a smile. ‘Great. I love going out with you, although you seem to indulge yourself rarely these days.’ He held his hand up when she went to argue. ‘No, don’t speak. I’ll go. I’d hate to give you a chance to think of a reason to change your mind.’
The Anchorage was packed. Paige followed Olly, and waited as one friend greeted him after another, continually stopping him to have a quick chat. She noticed that most of them were beautiful and female and had noticed Olly. Paige had been his friend for enough years to know he was too much in love with her sister to be interested in finding someone to replace her in his affections. She was relieved when eventually they reached the bar.
Having greeted him with obvious delight, the waitress showed the pair to their table. Paige sat back and gazed out of the vast window overlooking the tranquillity of the boat-filled harbour, where silvery ribbons reflected from the lowering sun making tiny waves on the gently moving tide.
‘I always thought the masts of the moored yachts were haunted bells, when I was small and heard them clanging together,’ Paige admitted absent-mindedly as she studied the menu.
‘Not the brightest of sparks then?’
‘Sorry?’
‘You and the masts,’ he laughed. ‘Bless. I bet you still believe in fairies too?’
‘I don’t,’ she said, unable to stop giggling. ‘Now stop teasing me and choose what you’re having.’
‘I’m going to try the watercress soup and mushroom risotto,’ he announced, slamming shut the leather-bound menu with relish.
‘What happened to my carnivorous neighbour?’ she teased, her brow creased in a confused frown. ‘You always have rare steak. And, it always looks disgusting.’
‘That’s where you’re wrong. Since Tuesday morning, I’ve been a born-again vegetarian.’
‘You’re kidding?’ She frowned, baffled by his unexpected announcement. ‘You, not eat meat? Are you serious?’ It was hard to know if he was joking.
‘Why? What’s wrong with that?’
‘Olly, you’re the most enthusiastic meat eater I’ve ever come across.’
‘Not anymore.’ He motioned for her to come closer to him. ‘I don’t know who he is, but there’s a well-dressed guy watching me with great intensity from over by the bar.’ Paige went to look over her shoulder. ‘No. Don’t do that.’ He grabbed her arm and pulled her back round. ‘He’ll know we’re talking about him.’
‘Olly,’ she groaned, desperate to look. ‘Don’t you recognize him at all?’
‘No.’ He peered over the top of his glass past her. ‘At least, I don’t think so. Come to think of it, he does look vaguely familiar. I wonder where I’ve seen him before.’
Paige tried to peek out of the corner of her eyes, but the mysterious man was too far behind for her to be able to. ‘Let me have a look.’
‘Not yet, he’ll se
e we’ve been talking about him, and if it turns out I should know him, I’ll look a bit of a fool.’ Olly picked up the menu, opening it, and holding it up in front of him as a screen. ‘Maybe he’s someone off the television?’
Paige waited for as long as she could manage. ‘That’s it, I’ve waited long enough. I’m going to the loo, and you can’t stop me.’ She had only taken several steps from her seat, when she stole a peek at the focus of Olly’s avid attention.
‘Sebastian?’ Her eyes widened in shock, as he stepped forward, giving her just enough time to save herself from slamming straight into him.
Chapter Eight
‘Are you still determined not to give me a chance to explain, Paige?’
‘I think it’s all pretty clear-cut,’ she said.
Sebastian could see she was flustered and caught off guard. ‘I see.’ He looked down at her, hating how much things had deteriorated between them. She was having fun with the guy she’d been sitting with, so maybe she wasn’t as interested in him as he would have liked. ‘You could have told me at The Encore that I had the wrong idea about us. I would have understood,’ he lied. ‘I’ve already apologized for not telling you about my involvement in this project.’
She shook her head. ‘That’s the trouble, though, Sebastian. To you it’s a project, but this is my livelihood we’re talking about. The place I’ve dreamed of selling my designs since I was a teenager, and it’s also where several of my friends work. What about them?’
Glancing over her shoulder Seb recognized her dinner partner as the same man he’d spotted her leaving the shop with a few days before. Sebastian couldn’t miss his obvious interest in their conversation, or the way he quickly looked away when he caught Sebastian looking at him.
‘You could always change your mind,’ she joked.
‘I can’t do that. I’m contracted to carry out the changes. This isn’t easy for anyone, Paige, and strange as it may seem to you, I don’t enjoy having to make decisions that change people’s lives in ways they don’t want. Whatever you may think of me, I do try to help everyone as much as I can.’
She didn’t seem to know what to say next. Why was she so uneasy, he wondered? He knew it was difficult between them, but surely they’d be able to find some way to deal with their differences of opinion? ‘Paige?’
‘I’m still shocked that didn’t tell me what your next job was, Sebastian. I’d like to find a way to forget that, but I can’t.’
‘I understand you’re hurt, but we’ll find a way round this.’ He ignored her look of surprise. ‘Why don’t we arrange to meet somewhere where we can talk this through?’ he said, wishing he didn’t want her so badly and that he could simply agree with her and let her go. ‘However difficult it is between us, we have to deal with this issue, especially now we’ll be working under the same roof for the foreseeable future.’
‘Fine.’ Paige sighed, after a moment’s deliberation.
Sebastian smiled, relieved she had agreed. He almost expected her not to, and it gave him a little hope.
Paige held up her hand. ‘I would like to ask you to try and find a way for my shop to stay at De Greys, because I can’t afford to move, but I won’t ask you for any special privileges.’
Irritation flooded through him. ‘You know I couldn’t make that promise, even if I wanted to.’
‘That’s something, I suppose.’ She glared at him.
He took a deep breath. ‘What, that I’ve just told you I can’t help you?’
‘No, that you have the morals to do the right thing, even if it doesn’t suit me.’
She really didn’t like him very much if she thought that little of him, he decided. ‘Just give me a chance to find a solution to this mess. I know you don’t believe me, but I’ll do all I can to help you through this.’ It was an untenable situation, but one he was determined to solve. If only she’d trust him, he thought, although going by her set expression he doubted she was going to give him the chance to prove himself to her.
She looked up at him, a searching look in her emerald green eyes. ‘I suppose so,’ she murmured.
What did she suppose? ‘You’ll give me a chance?’ Sebastian usually found it easier to persuade people do as he asked. She was proving to be more stubborn than most.
‘What do you want me to say?’ she asked, eyes narrowing. ‘That all is forgiven?’
He raised an eyebrow and smiled. ‘It would be preferable to us fighting.’
She leant in closer to him, a steely glint in her eyes. ‘I’m not ready to forgive, or forget. I don’t like deception, Sebastian.’
He stifled a groan. Why was this woman so difficult? ‘It wasn’t intentional. I was going to tell you.’
‘When?’
‘Soon.’
‘Really? Are you so sure?’
‘Yes, of course.’ He glared at the group of people standing next to him, their curious gazes obviously attracted by his raised voice. They immediately looked the other way. Turning his focus back to Paige, he lowered his voice. ‘Can we continue this outside?’
‘No, I’m with a friend, and I think I’ve spent long enough listening to you.’
He clenched his teeth together working the muscle in his jaw. Taking a steadying breath, he closed his eyes for a second. Sebastian knew Paige well enough to be aware that she wasn’t going to take any half-cocked excuses. He was going to have his work cut out for him if he wanted to carry out his job properly, and somehow keep her happy. ‘Fine. Will you let me come to your house, so we can talk this through?’
‘No.’
Why was she being so infuriating? Didn’t she realize they were going to have to see each other regularly at De Greys? ‘Whether you like it, or not, you’re going to have dealings with me over the next few months. So, the sooner we find a solution, the easier it’s going to be for us both.’
Paige stepped from one foot to the other. He couldn’t tell if she was considering his suggestion, or if she was simply bored and impatient to get away from him. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t really see how we can get past this.’
He checked over her shoulder and saw her companion once again pretending not to look at them.
‘Come to my house for dinner,’ he suggested. ‘We can talk everything through without being overheard.’ He knew the brunette next to him at the bar was listening intently to their conversation, and by the look of distain Paige was giving her, she’d noticed too.
‘There’s always someone you know, wherever you go in Jersey,’ Paige said pointedly.
Unable to help himself, Sebastian smiled. ‘Tomorrow night. I can pick you up if you like?’
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’
‘You can’t ignore this, Paige.’ He shook his head, knowing that he had no intention of giving up as easily as she obviously seemed to want him to. He indicated over to Olly. ‘I think your friend is about to implode with curiosity.’
‘Probably,’ she said pulling a face at Olly.
He envied her familiarity with the man.
‘Olly works at De Greys too, he’s in IT, so you’ll no doubt come across him at some point.’
The Jersey Scene series box set Page 39